ST JOHNSTONE maintained their recent stranglehold on fixtures with Hearts and stretched their advantage on the capital club to 12 points.

Having secured a first-half advantage through rejuvenated striker Chris Kane, Tommy Wright’s side saw out their third 1-0 home win of the campaign over the Jambos and set a new club point tally of 58 in the process.

In advance f a finale against Celtic at the weekend, Hearts coach Ian Cathro was left nursing a dismal record of just five wins in 25 matches since coming into Tynecastle.

Jambos fans customarily travel in substantial numbers to Perth but with fourth place and the prize of a Europa League place taken beyond their reach following a weekend loss to Rangers allied to St Johnstone’s win over Partick Thistle, the away section of the ground boasting just 541 loyal fans

The fact that their team hadn’t won in the league at McDiarmid for 10 years was hardly designed to fill coaches heading-up the M90 for a match with nothing more than pride at stake, although three points wouldn’t harm season Tynecastle ticket sales for next time round.

Following a costly red card at Ibrox, Prince Bauben was suspended, with Cathro restoring Greek midfielder Alexandros Tziolis to the starting line-up.

Before Robbie Neilson left for England and the managerial position with MK Dons, the Gorgie club had looked a sound bet for a top three finish, having got their noses in front of both Aberdeen and Rangers at one stage.

But with nine fresh faces arriving en-masse during the winter transfer window, along with a coach offering promise but untested in the unforgiving glare of frontline command, the Jambos’ form nosedived and Saints took full advantage, going into the game with an unassailable nine point advantage.

Hearts were pinned back in the opening minutes and when Joe Shaughnessy nodded Brian Easton’s hanging cross back into the danger zone Tam Scobbie was out of luck with a volley which smacked a defender.

Then Kane found space in the penalty box to meet Richard Foster’s cutback but his hitch-kick veered past the target from 12 yards.

In the 14th minute slick interplay involving Don Cowie and Arnaud Djoum provided an opening for Esmael Goncalves but the Jambos striker’s touch let him down on the edge of the box and the gap quickly closed.

Saints secured a 26th minute lead with a well-worked move involving Hibs-bound Danny Swanson and centre Kane.

Swanson, playing his final game for the Perth side with suspension ruling him out of the weekend finale with Rangers, played a superbly weighted pass beyond Tziolis and Kane toasted his return to action for the first time since a ligament injury in February to clip an angled finish beyond advancing keeper Viktor Noring.

Kane came close with another well-struck effort which ripped past the post before Hearts finally tested home keeper Alan Mannus.

There seemed little danger when Johnsen - booked earlier for a foul on Kane - gathered the ball 25 yards out. But the gangly striker let fly and the Northern Ireland keeper leapt to turn his netbound effort past for a fruitless corner.

The Jambos could have been facing a bigger deficit before half -time when confident Kane smashed a powerful 20-yarder off the face of the crossbar.

Irish centre Graham Cummins pounced on the rebound but lacked the necessary composure to find the net as his close range shot trundled wide of a gaping target.

Hearts coach Cathro replaced Johsen at the interval, with Rory Currie invited to help turn the tide.

But Kane again threatened before the hour mark with an audacious back heel which tested keeper Noring.

Mannus was again called upon to keep Hearts at bay with an athletic save, tipping over a Djoum shot which clipped a defender and threatened to drop beneath his crossbar.

Midfielder Liam Smith came close with a low shot which demanded that Mannus drop down low to bundle his effort wide for a corner.

In the 71st minute Swanson received a standing ovation from Perth fans forgiving his summer switch to Hibs and the recent flare-up with teammate Richard Foster which prompted the club to impose fines on both players.

Manager Wright embraced his 15-goal top scorer as the winger bowed out before substitute Liam Craig had a late strike ruled out by an offside flag.

At the end of the game, hard on the heel of a Liam Craig effort ruled out for offside after pouncing on another Kane shot beaten out by Norting, Swanson returned to seize the match ball as a souvenir of his stay at Perth.